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A selkie, at it's purest, is a fae being capable of controlling tides, crafting illusions, healing physical injuries and shapeshifting into a seal when close to a large source of water. The majority of selkies are female, with only a 12.5% chance of male children inheriting the gene that grants them magic. Without their sealskin, a selkie is considered only 'half' a selkie and cannot access all of their magical abilities. Selkies can take the form of any known seal on Earth and their appearances as a human are just as diverse as humanity itself.
The oldest legend of the selkie states that an injured seal washed up on the shores of Ireland, shifting into a human to survive. She was taken in by a kind fisherman and the two fell in love and had several children. But she longed for the sea, and eventually her husband returned her sealskin to her. She returned to the ocean, taking the children who shared her magic with her, but would stay close to the shore to watch over her remaining children and her lover.
Behaviour and Diet
As seals, selkies typically act as any seal would; playful, curious and watchful of the shores. These traits often carry over to their human personas, but from there they vary as greatly as people do. There are grumpy selkies and lighthearted selkies. Selkies who are gluttons and selkies who overly generous. Selkies who are self-conscious and selkies who are shameless. One unifying trait however is a love of the sea, and a desire to leave near the water. It's rare to find a selkie living fae from a body of water and they favour rivers over lakes or ponds, although the sea itself is any selkie's first choice.
As seals they eat fish and, occasionally, seaweed. If you see a seal eating seaweed, you know it's a selkie. As humans it's a little harder to identify them from their diets. Selkies can eat anything a human would in a healthy diet with little problems. They can still enjoy raw fish and often do, leading to an old saying 'If you want to woo a Selkie, give her sushi'.
Family Structure
Selkies are well known for being playful, affectionate creatures. They love easily and are unafraid to express this through physical gestures rather than words. While they can be solitary, they flourish when they have access to company they enjoy.
Selkie colonies are formed of friends, siblings and lovers but groups are interconnected by familial ties. Children leave to find their own colonies but remain in touch with their parents and will often visit them. As such a colony is not a 'fixed' group and is more dynamic than social groups based on a pair of parents and their offspring. In a pure selkie colony, friendly displays of affection are common. Selkies enjoy leaning on, hugging and even nuzzling their companions, as both humans and seals. Monogamy and polygamy are both practised by selkies; in a polygamy setup, all members must be involved with each other and happy otherwise it's seen as 'unfair' or lacking. Children are typically raised by their parents but nearly all adults show affection and fondness for the children in their colony. An outsider threatening a member of the colony with be faced with the wrath of the group.
Human-selkie partnerships are commonplace and often discussed of in folklore and song. Selkies make sealskins for their children so they can become full selkies themselves, presenting it to them when their magic manifests. They then take their selkie children with them into the sea, visiting their human relatives each month, so they can better learn the ways of the selkie, their colony and their magic. Some return to their human relatives and land, settling on coasts, and some devote themselves to the sea and never return to the shore. This is typically an accepted risk when marrying and having children with a selkie.
Magical Powers
Selkies are known to transform into seals. However they have more powers than just shapeshifting into that well known form, as all fae typically have three 'areas' of magic they can develop and control. Selkies are capable of altering tides and controlling water, creating illusions and weaving healing spells, in addition to their ability to turn into seals. If they were to master all of their abilities, a selkie can be capable of creating violent storms capable of sinking large vessels, create illusions so vivid and enduring their captive will never break free and heal fatal wounds. It's rare for any selkie to do this however, each often training one skill above the others.
One skill a half-selkie has over their 'pure' relatives is the gift of varied shapeshifting. A sealskin ties their form to that of a seal, giving them the energy of the ocean. Without it, a half-selkie can freely transform into any creature they're familiar with. They lose this when they acquire their sealskin. Without the skin however, a half-selkie is limited to only develop one area of magic and it's often connected to their personality.
Sealskins
A sealskin is a core part of a selkie's identity. It is what empowers their magic and fixes it upon their seal forms, and therefore to the sea itself. It is a great occasion when a child is given their first sealskin, made for them by their parent, and even greater when they learn to make their own and entwine it with their own magic and personality. To destroy a sealskin is an unforgivable crime to any selkie, one punishable by death, regardless of who the destroyer was to them.
Sealskins come in two styles, although their designs vary greatly across colonies based on one's personality, tastes in fashion and heritage. The 'essential' sealskin is a skin tight (but comfortable) garment worn as a vest or tank-top under other clothing. This is typically worn everyday and appears deceptively simple, with the required spellwork and runes hidden within the fabric. There is also the 'formal' or 'decorative' sealskin, often fashioned as a cape, serape, cloak or poncho; any sort of fabric that is long, loose and worn over other clothing. These are worn at formal occasions, times of celebration or remembrance, or times when the selkie wants to appear striking for whatever reason. The styles of these differ greatly all over the world and are often reflective of the wearer, as each is made unique.
Losing the formal sealskin is considered a shame as they are often very decorative. Losing the essential sealskin is a tragedy, as this renders any selkie a 'half-selkie' and blocks off aspects of their magic, along with their identity as a true selkie. The 'formal' sealskin can be used as a temporary replacement but the essential sealskin must be replaced immediately, as formal sealskins are not designed for everyday, practical wear.
The oldest legend of the selkie states that an injured seal washed up on the shores of Ireland, shifting into a human to survive. She was taken in by a kind fisherman and the two fell in love and had several children. But she longed for the sea, and eventually her husband returned her sealskin to her. She returned to the ocean, taking the children who shared her magic with her, but would stay close to the shore to watch over her remaining children and her lover.
Behaviour and Diet
As seals, selkies typically act as any seal would; playful, curious and watchful of the shores. These traits often carry over to their human personas, but from there they vary as greatly as people do. There are grumpy selkies and lighthearted selkies. Selkies who are gluttons and selkies who overly generous. Selkies who are self-conscious and selkies who are shameless. One unifying trait however is a love of the sea, and a desire to leave near the water. It's rare to find a selkie living fae from a body of water and they favour rivers over lakes or ponds, although the sea itself is any selkie's first choice.
As seals they eat fish and, occasionally, seaweed. If you see a seal eating seaweed, you know it's a selkie. As humans it's a little harder to identify them from their diets. Selkies can eat anything a human would in a healthy diet with little problems. They can still enjoy raw fish and often do, leading to an old saying 'If you want to woo a Selkie, give her sushi'.
Family Structure
Selkies are well known for being playful, affectionate creatures. They love easily and are unafraid to express this through physical gestures rather than words. While they can be solitary, they flourish when they have access to company they enjoy.
Selkie colonies are formed of friends, siblings and lovers but groups are interconnected by familial ties. Children leave to find their own colonies but remain in touch with their parents and will often visit them. As such a colony is not a 'fixed' group and is more dynamic than social groups based on a pair of parents and their offspring. In a pure selkie colony, friendly displays of affection are common. Selkies enjoy leaning on, hugging and even nuzzling their companions, as both humans and seals. Monogamy and polygamy are both practised by selkies; in a polygamy setup, all members must be involved with each other and happy otherwise it's seen as 'unfair' or lacking. Children are typically raised by their parents but nearly all adults show affection and fondness for the children in their colony. An outsider threatening a member of the colony with be faced with the wrath of the group.
Human-selkie partnerships are commonplace and often discussed of in folklore and song. Selkies make sealskins for their children so they can become full selkies themselves, presenting it to them when their magic manifests. They then take their selkie children with them into the sea, visiting their human relatives each month, so they can better learn the ways of the selkie, their colony and their magic. Some return to their human relatives and land, settling on coasts, and some devote themselves to the sea and never return to the shore. This is typically an accepted risk when marrying and having children with a selkie.
Magical Powers
Selkies are known to transform into seals. However they have more powers than just shapeshifting into that well known form, as all fae typically have three 'areas' of magic they can develop and control. Selkies are capable of altering tides and controlling water, creating illusions and weaving healing spells, in addition to their ability to turn into seals. If they were to master all of their abilities, a selkie can be capable of creating violent storms capable of sinking large vessels, create illusions so vivid and enduring their captive will never break free and heal fatal wounds. It's rare for any selkie to do this however, each often training one skill above the others.
One skill a half-selkie has over their 'pure' relatives is the gift of varied shapeshifting. A sealskin ties their form to that of a seal, giving them the energy of the ocean. Without it, a half-selkie can freely transform into any creature they're familiar with. They lose this when they acquire their sealskin. Without the skin however, a half-selkie is limited to only develop one area of magic and it's often connected to their personality.
Sealskins
A sealskin is a core part of a selkie's identity. It is what empowers their magic and fixes it upon their seal forms, and therefore to the sea itself. It is a great occasion when a child is given their first sealskin, made for them by their parent, and even greater when they learn to make their own and entwine it with their own magic and personality. To destroy a sealskin is an unforgivable crime to any selkie, one punishable by death, regardless of who the destroyer was to them.
Sealskins come in two styles, although their designs vary greatly across colonies based on one's personality, tastes in fashion and heritage. The 'essential' sealskin is a skin tight (but comfortable) garment worn as a vest or tank-top under other clothing. This is typically worn everyday and appears deceptively simple, with the required spellwork and runes hidden within the fabric. There is also the 'formal' or 'decorative' sealskin, often fashioned as a cape, serape, cloak or poncho; any sort of fabric that is long, loose and worn over other clothing. These are worn at formal occasions, times of celebration or remembrance, or times when the selkie wants to appear striking for whatever reason. The styles of these differ greatly all over the world and are often reflective of the wearer, as each is made unique.
Losing the formal sealskin is considered a shame as they are often very decorative. Losing the essential sealskin is a tragedy, as this renders any selkie a 'half-selkie' and blocks off aspects of their magic, along with their identity as a true selkie. The 'formal' sealskin can be used as a temporary replacement but the essential sealskin must be replaced immediately, as formal sealskins are not designed for everyday, practical wear.